Gambling in South Korea

South Korean Gambling Laws

There are 19 casinos in South Korea. With its growing
economy, one might expect more casinos, but Korean
gaming law is a part of being a late comer to the casino
gambling business.

There are powerful anti-gambling
interests in South Korea, which might hold back the
brick-and-mortar casino industry. But with excess
investment capital and a growing population, South Korea
seems poised for a major expansion of their gambling
industry.

Tourism is on the rise, while the South Korean
culture has become en vogue in East Asia in the past
five to ten years. The Hallyu or Korean Wave is a term
used to describe the growing popularity of of South
Korean movies, music and literature in neighboring
countries.

Fight Against Gambling in South Korea

Certain influential South Korean citizens have tried
to limit or even ban gambling in South Korea. For
instance, the moralistic National Council for Upgrading
Korea announced in 2006 a campaign to rid South Korea of
gambling. The group cited concerns that South Korea was
considered a "gambling republic" instead of a developed
nation.

South Korean Gambling Scandals

Anti-gambling forces might be motivated by a high
level gambling scandal in the South Korean government.
Two members of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism were
indicted for taking illegal bribes from state-licensed
gambling companies.

Casino Gambling Explosion

That being said, casino gambling has seen a steep
rise in recent years, with the building of major
Seoul-area casinos like the Seven Luck casino. A 2007
report showed that tourism to Seoul had increased almost
double in one years time, with the larger casino market
contributing to this upswing in tourism. Here's a list
of the casinos found throughout South Korea, along with
the city or municipality in which you will find them.

Kangwon Land Resort & Casino (Jeongseongun) - The
largest casino in South Korea, with 960 slot machines
and 132 table games. The information number is +82 33
590 708 1 and the website is
www.kangwonland.com.

Online Poker in South Korea

South Korea allows its citizens to play online poker.
Online casinos like Korea3DPoker, whose primary language
is Korean, target the South Korean online casino
gambler.

South Korea does not license online casinos through
any of its governmental institutions, though.

South Korean History

South Korea is a relatively new state, having existed
since 1945. The Koreans maintain a sense of independence
from the two neighboring large states nearby: China and
Japan. Despite being divided between a northern and
southern half, the South Koreans have transformed their
nation into an economically vibrant civilization with a
major impact on the culture and economy of the region.

Korea was a united and independent peninsula until
the late 19th century, when it became a target for the
colonial ambitions of the European powers and the modern
Japanese state. When the Japanese defeated the
disorganized Chinese Empire in an 1895 war, Korea's
independence was placed at risk.

Japanese Rule of Korea

This led to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, as
both Russia and Japan had ambitions in Korea. Japan won
the war and made Korea an imperial province. The
Japanese hoped not only to make Korea a site for
Japanese settlers, but also a springboard for further
expansion into Manchuria.

These ambitions led to another war in China, which
was supported by the United States. This, in turn, led
to war in the pacific between the United States and
Japan. In the last days of the Pacific theater of World
War II, the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan.
The Soviets were able to overrun the Japanese armies in
Manchuria and occupy the northern part of Korea. When
the settlement came in 1945, Korea was divided between a
northern communist half and a southern, democratic half.

Two Permanent Korean States

Despite a North Korean invasion in 1950, Korea has
remained divided for the past 63 years. South Korea has
2/3rd of the population and an economy ten times larger
than the North Koreans. South Korea also has a modern
state based on western ideas of democracy. These ideas
include fairly liberal gambling laws.